Hairpin opener



July 1948. E. W; TURNER 2,445,373

nunrm OPENER Filed May 2, 1947 Inventor Erv ille W. Turner A no rneys Patented July 20, 1948 HAIRPIN QPENER Erville W. Turner, Manchester, Wasln, assignor of one-half to Hope E. Glendale, Calif.

Application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,389

6 Claims. (Cl. 132-1) This invention relates to a device for use. in opening hair pins and has particular reference to an article adapted to be worn on the finger and which is especially constructed for opening or spreading the members of a bobby pin.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device especially adapted for use by hairdressers or beauticians to facilitate the opening of bobby pins and which will eliminate the use of the finger nails for this purpose which frequently results in breaking the finger nails and otherwise injuring the fingers, sometimes causing infection, and which will likewise discourage the practice, illegally inmost states, of using the teeth for this purpose, by affording a means whereby bobby pins may be quickly and easily opened or spread to a desired extentpreparatory ,to being applied to the hair.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a ring having a spreader or opening thereon by means of which a bobby pin may be quickly and easily opened with the thumb and index finger of one hand and engaged and held in an open position and thereafter readily removed from the spreader or opener for application to the hair.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a spreader or opener mounted upon a split finger ring adjustable to be worn on the index finger or thumb of either hand for convenient use by either right or left handed persons.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully ap parent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the opener or spreader;

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view thereof Figure 3 is a top plan view of the opener or spreader;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the opener or spreader applied to the index finger and being employed in one manner for opening a bobby pin, and

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the spreader or opener applied to the index finger and being utilized in another manner for opening a hobby pin.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a finger ring having a laterally enlarged head portion 8 and which 2 is split at 9 substantially opposite to the head portion 8 to allow the ring I to be increased or decreased in size for fitting either the index finger or thumb of either hand and for snugly engaging fingers and thumbs of different sizes.

' The ring I constitutes a support for the spreader or opener, designated generally l0, and of which the head portion 8 forms a part, as will hereinafter become more fully apparent. The opener or spreader I0 includes a stem, designated generally H, which is preferably formed integral with and rises from the outer side of the head 8. The stem H, asbest seen in Figure 4, comprises corresponding tapered end portions formed by converging side walls and which form edges II at each end thereof. As seen in Figure 4, the stem II is generally in the form of an elongated diamond in cross section and the longitudinal axis thereof is disposed circumferentially of the ring I and longitudinally of the head 8 thereof and comprises complementary outwardly convergin end portions each constituting a half of said stem. The stem H is provided at its outer end with a cap or enlargement l3 which overlies the converging side walls thereof, as seen in Figure 4, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. As seen in Figure 3, the cap or enlargement I3 is generally oval shape.

One side of the stem II is provided with an outwardly opening recess ll disposed intermediate of the ends thereof and terminating in spaced relationship to the edges l2.

The ring I may be applied to the index finger or thumb of either hand, always with the recess l4 facing outwardly or toward the tip of the thumb or finger, and for left handed persons. the ring 'I is applied to the right hand, and for right handed persons to the left hand. i

The opener or spreader i0 is adapted to be utilized in either of two ways, one shown in Figure 5 and the other in Figure 6, for opening a bobby pin l5.- As illustrated in Figure 5 the ring 'I is shown applied to the left index finger and the bobby pin I5 is engaged by the thumb and index finger of the right hand with the two members of the bobby pin it disposed between the tips of the thumb and finger and with the wavy member l6 uppermost and the longer, substantially straight member l1 lowermost or adjacent the left index finger. The loop or intermediate portion 18 of the bobby pin is pressed against the middle finger of the right hand-for effectively guiding the bobby pin and the protruding end of the longer member I1 is then inserted into the recess, ll. The thumb and index finger of the right hand are then slid along the pin ll toward the opener or spreader and at'the same time an upward puh is exerted on the upp r. wavy leg or member II for spreading the member it away from the member I] which is held by its free end engaging in the recess i4 until the members It and II are spread sumciently so that the index finger oi the right hand may be inserted there-- between. With the end of the index finger disposed between the. members II and II, the hobby pin it is withdrawn from engagement with the ring 1, and the free ends of the members i8 and I! are moved into engagement with one of the edges i2, as seen in Figure 6. Such free ends of the members it and I! are normally fiaredoutwardly so that either of the sharpened edges I! may be readily inserted therebetween and by advancing the bobby pin II inwardly of the stem ii, the members it and I! will be spread by engagement with the wide, intermediate portion of said stem, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 6. The enlarged head 8 will effectively function to preventthe members It and I! from slipping downwardl oil of the stem ii and the enlargement or cap It will overlie said members It and ii to prevent them from accidentally slipping upwardly and oil! of the stem. The index finger and thumb may then be removed from the loop portion II and the index finger is then inserted between the legs or members I 6 and i1. to the left of the opener III as seen in Figure 6, and a slight upward .pull or movement from left to right of the bobby pin is will readily cause it to be disengaged from the opener l0 and removable therefrom over the cap or enlargement ii, to be applied to the hair in the manner as previously described. The stem ii, if desired, may be formed of a magnetized material for attracting.

the. hair or bobby pin thereto to thereby automatically guide the pin toward the spreading edge l2, and various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims. I claim as my invention:

saidcaportoverlyinguidmresder meanstopreventthespreadhairpinfransliding 'ofltheouterendofthespreader zlnanopenerorspreaderfcrhair'pinsot theb bluvp n im .comprisingstinger-crusading supportingmembenanelongatedopenermember risingtherefromandhavingitslongihidinalaxis extendinginadirectioncircnmferentiallyoftbe finger memberandprovidedwitha lateralb opening recess in one side thereof adaptedtoreceivethefreeendofonelegor memberofabobbypinforholdingoranehoring said leg while the other. leg is moved relatively theretoforsaidlegsormemberssumcientlytopermitafingertobeinsertedtherebetweemsaidrecessbeingdispoeedtoopentramverselyoftheplaneofthefingerengagingsupportingmember.

3.1nanopenerorspreaderforhairpinsofthe bobby pin t pe. a fin e enga ing suppo tin memberhavingastenrproiectingfromaportion thereof, said stem being to project radially outwardly from the supporting member and being elongated in a direction circumferential of the supporting member and being provided with side wallsconversin toward one end thereof to provide an edge adapted to engage between the ireeendsotthelegsormembersofabobbypin for spreading said legs when the bobby pin is moved inwardly of said stem. I

4.Anopenerorspreaderasinclaim3 ,said stem having an enlargement or cap on its outer end beneath which the bobby pin'is adapted to 'bedisposedforretainingthebobbypininensagementwiththestemduringthespreadingor opening operation.

5. An opener or spreader a's-in claim 3. said stemhavinganenlargementorcaponitsouter end-beneath which the bobby pin is adapted to Mbedisposedforretainingthebobbypininen- 1. In an opener or spreader for hair pins of u the bobby pin type. a finger engaging supporting member, a spreader element rising therefrom, a cap or enlargement on the outer end or said spreader element, and means forming a part of said spreader element for engaging a portion of at least one member or leg of a hair pin oi the bobby pin type for spreading the legs thereof,

gagement with the stem during the spreading or ope n ope ation. and said fin er en aging i porting member having an enlarged portion 'or head contiguous with-said stem and combining with said enlargement or'cap for guiding the hobby pin into engagement with the stem.

6.Anopenerorspreaderasinclaim3,and said stem having tapered side walls converging towardtheoppositeendthereofforforminga seeondedgeforreceivingandopeningabobby pin.

ERVIILE W. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

